1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric stapler. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cutting mechanism for an electric stapler in which unnecessary portions of the leg portions of a staple, which pass through and are projected from an object to be stapled, are cut after the leg portions are bent inward.
2. Description of the Related Art
To staple a large number of sheets (for example, 100 sheets), a staple of which the crown portion is wide and the leg portions are long is generally used. When a small number of sheets are stapled with the same type of staple and the leg portions of the staple are bent, the leg portions are overlapped each other. In order to prevent the leg portions from being overlapped, a mechanism is known in which leg portions of a stapler are clinched after necessary portions of the leg portions for stapling, which pass through and are projected from the reverse side of a stapled object, are left and the rest of the leg portions are cut away. The above cutting mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, includes a couple of support plates 30 for rotatably supporting movable clinchers (not shown). A cutter 31 is disposed at an intermediate portion of the couple of support plate 30 in a state that it is movable in the direction at a right angle with the support plates. The cutter 31 includes an opening 33 allowing the leg portions 32 of a staple to pass therethrough. The leg portions 32 of the staple, after they pass through a stapled object 34, are inserted into the space between the support plates 30, and pass through the opening 33. In this state, the cutter 31 is moved to cut away unnecessary portions of the leg portions 32 of the staple, as shown in FIG. 12C.
However, in the conventional cutting mechanism, when the leg portions of the staple are cut as described above, the corners 35 of the leg portions are formed at a substantially right angle. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12D, when the stapling work ends and a stapled booklet is, for example, laid on top of another, there is a danger that the corners 35 of the leg portions of one booklet scratch the surface of the paper of another laid booklet 34a.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cutting mechanism for leg portions of staples in use with an electric stapler which is free from the above problem that the leg portions of a staple scratch or break the surface of another stapled object.